NATO rejoiced at the Turkish-Russian clash, but preferred to stay away.
Amid the escalation of tension in Syrian Idlib, where armed groups supported by Turkish troops are trying to drive out government troops supported by the Russian Air Force, NATO decided to demonstrate support for the Turkish ally. It is noteworthy that the matter did not go beyond moral support.
Thus, the press service of the North Atlantic Alliance distributed a beautifully shot video that is dedicated to Turkey’s contribution to NATO activities. It is also noteworthy how powerful the Turkish troops demonstrate in the video. Thus, the NATO leadership clearly makes it clear that Ankara itself is able to cope with its problems in Syria. In support of this, the publication was accompanied by the signature: “Each member of the alliance has the right to vote, but decisions are made only together.”
The pilot of the Turkish Air Force Ezra Ozatay was invited to shoot the video. She spoke bravely about the “common values” that NATO stands for, as well as the achievements of his country for almost seventy years of membership in the bloc.
“NATO is a family with common values. We support our allies for peace and stability. Turkey is NATO, ”the video says.
Syria situation
Recently, Syrian government forces launched a large-scale offensive in the Idlib de-escalation zone with the goal of putting an end to the rioting of jihajists. Such actions have caused Turkey’s discontent. Ankara was against the offensive in Idlib, although Damascus was forced to act precisely because the Turkish side was unable to fulfill the conditions of the Sochi memorandum on the demilitarized zone.
The situation was aggravated after the death of several Turkish soldiers who came under artillery fire from the Syrian Arab army. In response, Ankara began to take retaliatory actions that threaten the settlement process. In particular, the Turkish army attacked the objects of the Syrian troops and began to transfer additional forces to Idlib. And the day before, armed groups supported by Turkish troops stormed the Syrian army.
NATO reaction
A recent case study in 16 NATO countries showed that, on average, only 38% of citizens support a war with Russia in pursuance of Article 5 of the NATO collective security charter. Moreover, 50% – against.
The leadership of the alliance has a similar position. As News Front previously reported, a source in the delegation of one of the NATO member countries said that the bloc does not plan to support Turkey in its military campaign on Syrian territory. According to the official, this is beyond the scope of the fifth article. He noted that NATO prefer to provide “political support”, distancing itself from the Middle East confrontation.
The fact is that the alliance is not concerned about the prospects of the Turkish army in its confrontation with the troops of Bashar al-Assad, but the threat that Turkey will engage in a full-scale conflict with Syria’s allies – Russia and Iran. Against this background, NATO is very hopeful that the situation will be resolved peacefully, and the alliance will not have to deal with the Russian army.